In a secluded, dense forest.

Ji Chan’er’s face was like frost as she instructed the hunched, black-robed old woman beside her:

“Grandma Qi, immediately send someone to find the Holy Scion of the Celestial Zenith Sanctuary, Piao Genshuo. Tell him that if he wants to retrieve that item, he must come to Falling Cloud Valley in the Eastern Divine Domain at once. If he is late, he can forget about ever finding what he lost.”

“Yes, this servant will dispatch someone right away!”

Upon hearing this, the old woman bowed respectfully to Ji Chan’er, then transformed into a wisp of black smoke and drifted away without the slightest hesitation.

After the old woman left, Ji Chan’er narrowed her beautiful eyes, a cold glint flashing in their depths.

“Shen Wuji, since you have no regard for the rules, I shall let you meet the true Holy Scion of the Celestial Zenith.”

At that moment, Ji Chan’er’s expression changed abruptly, and she sharply turned her gaze toward the direction of Falling Cloud Valley.

“Not good! The array around the Phantom Star Herb has been tampered with!”

Sensing the anomaly, she dared not delay. Her figure fluttered like a dancing butterfly, covering thousands of feet in an instant as she soared through the air and sped away.

Soon, Ji Chan’er returned to the bamboo pavilion. She first noticed that all the various restrictions outside were intact, showing no signs of intrusion by outsiders, which allowed her to relax slightly.

“I hope this is just a false alarm.”

While pondering, her steps did not stop. She swiftly moved to the entrance of the hidden passage. After traversing underground for some time, she finally reached the place where the Phantom Star Herb was sealed.

Huh?

The scene before her completely stunned Ji Chan’er. The Phantom Star Herb she had firmly trapped was gone without a trace. Only a familiar figure stood motionless on the spot, like a wooden carving.

Big Qi… how could he be here?!

Ji Chan’er stared wide-eyed, dumbfounded by the sight before her. Her mind went blank as immense panic and bewilderment washed over her.

Shortly after, she suddenly snapped back to reality. With an ashen face, she walked up to Qi Yuan and was about to open her mouth to question him when suddenly her vision swam and grew blurry…

When she regained her senses, she found herself inside a low, crude earthen house. The walls of the room were bare; aside from some old, worn furniture and decorations, there was nothing else.

“Who am I? Where is this?”

Ji Chan’er furrowed her delicate brows, sinking into confusion.

At the same time.

Ten Thousand Fragrances Pavilion.

“Great Sir, you finally have time to come. This servant has missed you terribly these past few days.”

Qi Yuan had his arm around a flirtatious woman in a revealing pink dress who moved with seductive grace. His expression still held a trace of distraction.

His surname was Ximen, given name Qing.

His family ran a medicinal herb shop in Qinghe County.

Because he was smooth and adept at socializing, getting along with both respectable society and the underworld, his career had been smooth sailing over the years. He had amassed quite a substantial fortune.

Furthermore, he himself was lustful and fond of women. His romantic history was also very simple and unadorned. He didn’t like all those complicated romantic entanglements; when he saw a suitable woman, he simply married her and brought her home. To this day, he only had six wives and concubines at home…

I am Ximen Qing?

Seeing him somewhat distracted, the woman beside him pouted unhappily and lightly pounded Qi Yuan’s arm coquettishly.

“Master, you truly have no conscience. This servant has been so lovesick for you these days that I couldn’t eat or drink properly. And you? As soon as we meet, your mind is elsewhere. Do you have a new favorite outside and have forgotten this old flame?”

After speaking, her eyes welled up with tears as if she had suffered a great grievance.

Only then did Qi Yuan snap out of his reverie. With practiced ease, he pinched the woman’s cheek and chuckled.

“How could that be? Those common powders and rouges outside can’t compare to even half your allure, Yu Chuan’er. See? I’ve come specifically to accompany you.”

These words flowed out completely naturally, as if integrated into instinct. Even Qi Yuan himself felt somewhat surprised.

Yu Chuan’er, the popular courtesan of Ten Thousand Fragrances Pavilion, immediately turned her displeasure into delight. She giggled softly and rubbed her delicate body against his chest. “Great Sir, you really know how to talk. You’ve made this one’s heart flutter pit-a-pat.”

Qi Yuan subconsciously replied again:

“I don’t believe it unless you let me feel it.”

“You’re awful!”

Yu Chuan’er shyly pushed him away. “Great Sir, this servant has prepared the finest spirit wine for you this time. Please try it first…”

It was only around noon, but Ten Thousand Fragrances Pavilion was already more than half full. The hall was spacious and opulently decorated. Many guests were embracing women left and right, indulging freely. The air was thick with a strong fragrance of cosmetics and perfume.

Strangely enough, although Qi Yuan found himself feeling completely at ease and in his element in such an environment, for some reason, he just couldn’t muster any real enthusiasm.

The Yu Chuan’er before him had powdered cheeks and red lips with a graceful figure—clearly a rare beauty among hundreds—yet he simply couldn’t get excited. Although his flirtatious banter continued as usual, inwardly his heart was as still as an ancient well without a ripple, as if he were looking at empty air.

In short, it was completely unlike how a seasoned lecher should behave.

As if noticing Qi Yuan’s lack of interest, a man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks sporting two wisps of mustache across from him immediately leaned closer and said in a lowered voice:

“Great Sir, let me tell you something you’ll definitely be very interested in. Once you succeed, don’t forget about your little brother’s share of the benefits.”

Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow questioningly. “Brother Ying? What do you want to say?”

From his somewhat chaotic memories, he recalled that the other man’s name was Ying Bojue, one of his many disreputable friends.

Although Ying Bojue’s name contained the characters for “Earl,” it actually had no relation to any official nobility or title; giving him this name was purely for auspiciousness.

As it turned out, Ying Bojue lived up to his family’s expectations and grew up to become a glorious street ruffian.

The man was clever-minded and smooth-tongued. Relying on his skill at flattery and bootlicking, he thrived in Qinghe County and won the appreciation of many important figures.

Seeing Qi Yuan’s interest piqued, Ying Bojue immediately perked up. Beaming with delight, he said:

“A couple moved here from neighboring Yanggu County two days ago. The man is called Wu Da. He’s a filthy simpleton who sells baked wheat cakes—short in stature with an unremarkable appearance.”

“Of course, that’s not the main point. The point is his wife…”

“Tsk tsk… I’m not very cultured myself; I can’t really describe her to you properly. But I can guarantee you this: A woman as beautiful as her—you won’t find a second one like her in all of Qinghe County.”

As he spoke, Ying Bojue’s beady eyes gleamed brightly, clearly recalling that wonderful sight.

“Forget it.”

Even so, Qi Yuan wasn’t particularly stirred. Instead, he stood up directly and said dismissively:

“I have matters to attend to. Brother Ying, enjoy yourself here. Let’s meet another day.”

With that said, he casually tossed a bag of silver coins onto the table and strode straight out of Ten Thousand Fragrances Pavilion.

Once out on the street, Qi Yuan finally let out a long sigh of relief and prepared to go check on his family’s medicinal shop.

Halfway there, a sudden gust of wind blew by.

The next moment, a thin bamboo pole supporting an awning fell from a window by the street, landing squarely on his head…